Staple feed mechanism for fastener applying implements



& "Ms W D m n m P A R m m. S A F R 0 F m I W m D E E F m P T S H. W. MARANO Oct. 31,1950

1! Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1949 H. W. MARANO Oct. 31, 1950 STAPLE FEED MECHANISM FOR FASTENER APPLYING IMPLEMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1949 4 QGIJ JQZ/iOF Patented Oct. 31, 1950 STAPLE FEED MECHANISM FOR FASTEN ER APPLYING IMPLEMENTS Herbert W. Marano, Brooklyn, N. Y., assign r to Wilson-Jones Company, Chicago, 111., a co rporation of Massachusetts Application March 26, 1949, Serial No. 83,75

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a stapling machine, and specifically to a staple slide and its spring for moving the staples along the slide towards the exit channel.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for permitting ready access to the staples mounted on the slide to move them away from the exit channel without dismantling any part of the stapling machine. Another object of the invention is to provide spring means for feeding the staples forwardly along the staple slide that will require a minimum of space behind the feed plate and will be effective to move the feed lplate anywhere along its path of travel. Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stapling machine of the type for which the staple slide and spring are particularly designed;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stapling machine shown in Figure l, with the top raised to show the staple slide and spring;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the staple slide with the spring partially compressed;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, with the feed plate and spring omitted to clarify the showing of the staple slide structure;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 5--5 of Figure 3, showing the staple and the adjacent portion of the top of the stapling machine in dotted lines;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail perspective on an enlarged scale showing the feed plate in association with the staple slide and spring, with the staple slide cut away to show the feed plate structure more clearly;

Figure '7 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 1-1 of Figure 6, but with the staple slide extended and staples positioned on the slide; and

Figure 8 is a top elevation of the staple slide, feed plate, and spring, with parts broken away to facilitate illustration.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a stapling machine base having upstanding ears 3 at its rear end. A top 4 is pivotally secured to the ears by means of a hinge pin 5. The top 4 is open at its bottom, and a staple slide 6 is mounted therein by the interengagement of flanges 1, extending outwardly from opposite longitudinal sides of the staple slide, and longitudinally extending recesses B in the inner surface of each side wall of the top of the stapling machine.

The staple Slidu 6 comprises a top wall 9 and a pair of downwardly extending side walls In which are stradd ed by the legs of wire staples I i. The side wall; ID are each bent outwardly, as indicated at l2, u )wardly, as indicated at l3, and then outwardly to form horizontal flanges 1. Each side wall I0 5 provided with a longitudinally extending slot 14 whrough which fingers ii of feed plate l6 extend t) engage the legs of staples II. The slots I i stop short of the rear end H of the staple slide, so the t when feed plate I6 is retracted far enough fingers [5 will engage the ends of slots I4 and will )e collapsed into the interior of the staple slide to permit staples fed over the rear end of the staple slide to pass, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8 A lip l8 extends downwardly from the top wall 9 adjacent its front end and is apertured to I! ceive one end of a guide rod IS, the other end of which is supported by end wall I I. Feed plate H5 is slidably mounted on guide rod I9. A pair of lips is struck downwardly from the to wal' 9 rearwardly of the end of slots II to stop the rearward movement of the feed plate 16 after fin gers l5 have been collapsed into the interior of ti e staple slide.

Ordinarily, wt en the feed fingers 15 are collapsed into the nterior of the staple slide, any staples on the side will move backwards under the action of gr avity alone if the stapling machine is held w:th its front end up. However, sometimes staplus Il may be slightly deformed,

, as for instance ly accidentally dropping a heavy object on them before they are positioned in the stapling machina. .Such deformation may be so slight that it wilv not be noticed when the staples are later loaded on the staple slide. Such deformed staples will not feed properly in the stapling machin: and will not fall out by gravity when the feed 1. ngers are collapsed. A series of elongated openings 2| is cut out of the top wall 9 of the staple sli ie to permit ready access to the staples so that if they need to be moved backwards for any ieason the stapling machine tOIp may be swung a round the pivot 5 to the position shown in Figur: 2 and a sharp pointed instrument may be iiserted through openings 2| to force the staple: away from the exit channel 2'2 at the forward (lid of the machine. Openings 2| are wide enougl so that the guide rod i9 will not interfere with n anipulation of the sharp pointed instrument.

The feed plat 2 IE is normally urged forwardly by means of a barrel spring 23 encircling guide rod I9 between the feed plate and the end wall ll of the staple slide. The use of a spring in this relationship is not new, but springs long enough to exert pressure against the feed plate when the feed plate is adjacent the front end of the stapling machine require so much space when compressed that the stapling machine requires considerable extra length to allow for the spring. This problem has been partially solved by Pankonin in Patent No. 2,165,572, issued July.

wire so that the coilsin each section may be.

compressed into a space equal in thickness to twice the thickness of the wirev of which the spring is made. v

The reduction in the length of the space saved by the useof the barrel spring. 23 instead of a donventional helical. spring may beex'pres'sedby the formula R ND' 'ZDSl VK/TIIQIB R is the reduct n in length, N. s he. number o oi s h t would be required in a conventional "helical springto perior m thejntended function of urging e eed a,.. or.w rdly e rdless. i s 1 sition on thestaplesl ide', D is the, diamet r of wi e, and S is, the. number of sections. in the wing- .L'rhe. comp essibilit of. thespring s xt e importance because when. the stapleslide is: fully loaded the springinust be contained in the space between the rearof. the feed. plate and the rear end of the staple slide]. When' thefstaple slide isfahriost empty, thg spring: must. exert. enough force against the remaining staples to movethem Successivelyinto the exitchannel. This requirement of force. at the. front end of the staple slide when most of the staples have been used. makes it impractical touse a conventional helical spring because of thelarge amountof space that would, be reguiired behind the feed plate to house the spring when the staple slideis fully loaded.

Although. I have described a, preferred embodiment of my invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. The staple slide and barrel spring are particularly designed for use in the stapling machine disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 76,497, filed February 15, 1949, but may be used in many other types of stapling machines. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact structure described, except as limited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1.' In a stapling machine, a staple slide having a top wall, a guide rod secured beneath said top wall, and a series of longitudinally extending openings extending through said top Wall to provide access from the underside of said staple slide to a plurality of staples straddling said slide, said openings being wider than said rod.

2. In a staplingmachine, a staple slide having a top wall provided with a longitudinally extend ing opening whereby access maybe had from the underside of said. staple slide to a plurality of staples straddling said staple slide, a depending end wall, a feed plate mounted in said staple slide, and a spring mounted in said staple slide between said feed plate and said depending end wall, said spring comprising a plurality of coils of difierent diameters whereby coils of smaller diameter may be received within adjacent coils of larger diameter when said spring is 'cQm',

pressed.

HERBERT .W. MARANO.

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of recordin the file of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 'Date 16,972 Foster et al. Apr. 7, 1857 2,298,520 Vogel Oct. 13, 1942 2,309,778 Maynard Feb, 2, 1943 2,399,761 Ruskin May 7, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 305,969 Great Britain Feb. 13, 19 29 

